


going easy

by satyrnskies



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Sexual Tension, Swordfighting, anger lots of anger, just a lot of tension in general tbh, masochistic percy, mentions of the war, they’re traumatized like wtf!, this was supposed to be a smut but now im just sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:34:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27132544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/satyrnskies/pseuds/satyrnskies
Summary: things get a little too heated during a training session between the two heroes.or; percy brings his feelings to a swordfight.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Comments: 16
Kudos: 74





	going easy

**Author's Note:**

> in this fic, everything happens exactly the same except percy and annabeth don’t reveal their feelings at all during the series! this takes place after the last olympian, before the events of the lost hero. i hope you enjoy reading! 💗

percy was angry. much more angry than he believed to be normal.

at the gods, at the fates, at himself. at the camp he had always seen as a safe haven that was now dusted with the ashes of those lost to circumstance and ugly, cruel war. he stabbed at an ancient looking dummy against the east wall of the training room, its fabric chest ripping open in a new tear of millions already gashed in the faux torso. 

he was angry that everyone seemed to move on so fast, from basically being child soldiers and losing friends and family to preventable conflicts. realistically, percy knew that grieving was a very personal process. of course he noticed the way the aphrodite kids always seemed to leave a spot open when they lounged on their cabin patio, the memory of silena soaking in the sun so vivid percy could swear he saw a ghost. the pang in his stomach each time he passed the hephaestus cabin and saw a camper using one of beckendorf’s prized tools couldn’t be ignored either. but overall, nobody talked about the war. the nightmares he knew they all had. everyone simply pretended it never happened, and percy didn’t think that was normal, either. 

one of the worst things about the aftermath of the war was, he thought selfishly, the fact that he and annabeth were not together. he was angry about that, too, but not with the genius blonde herself. not at all. anytime he thought they were close to confessing their feelings (or, atleast, percy was so close to confessing his that the pressure threatened to make him explode), they were either interrupted or annabeth would pull away, her eyes heavy with mourning and mistrust. it upset him that the latter was not for him, though he bore the ill effects of it. annabeth trusted him without a doubt, and he knew, knew! that she had feelings for him, if she would only let herself admit them. she took a knife for him at the battle of manhattan, for aphrodite’s sake. 

though she could have easily meant that platonically, he thought afterwards with a groan.

percy guessed he understood, but that didn’t ease his ever-present longing for her. any thought of luke, of annabeth’s pain, brought on another wave of anger. at the gods, mainly, for allowing any of it to happen. 

no matter how close he thought he and annabeth were, there was always a way for her to keep him at arms length. like last night, her calling out kyle fucking danvers from the hermes cabin by name to join her team for capture the flag. it wouldn’t have been so bad if she had chosen percy before that, or even after, but she hadn’t chosen him at ALL. instead, he ended up on will solace’s team. they had won, of course, after percy washed the opposition down the river. it did little to ease the sting of annabeth’s rejection.

another slash. the cotton of the dummy had long since been torn out, only the wooden base left beneath the covering. riptide handled the pine easily, shards flying that pleased percy in a destructive kind of way. 

“wanna go a round or two?”

percy didn’t jump at the familiar voice, though his heart stopped momentarily as the image of it’s owner built itself in his head. metal slid against metal, and he knew she was looking for a sword; annabeth never really took no for an answer, though it wasn’t likely he would ever deny her anything, let alone a good training session.

he enjoyed sparring with annabeth for a lot of reasons. it was nice for both of them to work out their frustrations with someone they trusted so completely not to seriously injure the other. she was a fierce opponent; never going easy on him. there were other, uh- more intimate reasons why he enjoyed it, but if he let himself think about them too much annabeth was sure to beat him to a bloody pulp.

“always,” he grinned, flipping riptide over his shoulder as he faced her. “i don’t think you want to go toe to toe with a master like me, though.”

finally she found her choice, a short and rather wide blade attached to a solid silver hilt. “and why wouldn’t i?” annabeth questioned, her ponytail unusually smooth, as though it had just been redone. she took a step forward, he took a step back. the lithe muscles in her thighs flexed under her shorts, and percy took a little extra effort to breathe.

“i’ve been known to be pretty deadly with this thing,” he gave the mock warning with a teasing tone, and didn’t miss the light blush to annabeth’s cheeks at it. they were circling eachother now, though percy had no idea who was predator and who was prey. 

annabeth’s chuck taylors made no noise on the worn wooden floor, her sword at her side and mischief in her eyes. “yeah? i’ve been doing this since you were still eating crayons, seaweed brain. come at me.”

he didn’t. annabeth always made the first move; the predicted challenge a fake out for her to lunge. when she did, he prepped for it, sidestepping with his hands behind his back. “what makes you think i ever stopped eating crayons?” 

when she laughed, the sound bounced around the room in raucous pleasantry, bringing a smile to percy’s face. he almost felt bad when he took advantage of her being off-guard and thrusted his sword beneath her bent arm, immediately bringing her to attention with all traces of her giggles gone from her face. annabeth slashed at his chest, a movement he easily avoided by ducking beneath her arm, holding it in place and forcing pressure on her elbow. 

gritting her teeth, annabeth brought her knee up against percy’s side, making his brows furrow before he released her arm from the shock. she wiped the sudden bead of sweat from her brow, not bothering with the other streams collecting weight at the side of her face. she should have stretched before challenging percy.

she had always been extremely impressed with him, from the moment he stumbled upon half blood hill after slaying one of the most fabled monsters of all time. though she had been taller than him for the first couple years they knew each other, now that percy was nearing eighteen he stood almost six inches taller than her, lean and wiry and forever looking like he just got out of battle.

ugh. she shook her head, flyaway curls already blurring the edges of her vision, before aiming the hilt of her sword to percy’s ribs. he spun and dodged that, as well. annabeth hated when he used evasion instead of going at her full throttle.

“percy!” she exclaimed, sweeping her leg around his in a precarious position to knock him flat on his ass. his heavy breaths matched hers, the flush of excitement on his cheeks. she felt riptide’s handle digging into her back. “stop going easy on me!”

he looked at her incredulously, mouth dropping in astonishment. “like you ever give me the option to go easy!”

she tripped him, instinctually dropping to catch his head before it hit the floor. percy broke into a fit of laughter at that, rolling onto his side and clutching his stomach. “i can’t believe all the campers are scared of a girl who catches her opponents head after she fucking drops them so they don’t get hurt.”

annabeth reddened, kicking him lightly in his calf. “i can’t believe all the campers are so attracted to a guy who almost let his head get cracked open like an egg in the heat of battle. you should do better.”

it was percy’s time to turn scarlet. “all the campers are attracted to me?” scoffing, she turned to walk away, gasping when her legs were swept from under her and she hit the floor on her hands and knees. 

“you’re never supposed to turn your back, annabeth! what’s wrong with you today?”

rolling her eyes, she flipped onto her back and sprung up, her curls coming out of her ponytail in the messy way percy liked most. even the reflection of the lights in her sword couldn’t outshine the pure platinum of her eyes. 

annabeth didn’t speak, instead going into a frenzy of seemingly well planned jabs that left percy’s head reeling. she just missed his most vulnerable spots, though she never went near the small of his back, letting him know that she had all the power in the world to make him hurt, should she want to.

it was a small thrill, and once again he found himself shaking his head to clear those thoughts from it. the danger, juxtaposed with his complete trust in her, was an intoxicating situation. annabeth was the only girl he had ever really thought of in such a way, and it made him sick to think that he enjoyed literally being attacked by her. it was a different feeling, not quite fear, and the adrenaline surged directly to his center with every beat of his pulse. he liked it way more than he should have. 

they were almost near the north end now, and though annabeth was the one retreating percy was still on defense. every move of hers was calculated, and if he didn’t know her so well he would have stood not a single chance in battle with her. they were breathless, fighting like they had wronged each other, though the smiles on both their flushed faces was obvious.

finally he had her, his sword to her throat and a smirk on his face until the back of annabeth’s head smacked into the wall behind her. she winced, and percy’s guard immediately dissipated. he dropped riptide and reached to cradle her face in his hands, but she took advantage of his vulnerability to push him away with an elbow to the chest.

all the air knocked from his lungs, percy doubled over, crouching with a cough that ended in a wheeze. annabeth didn’t give him time to recover, her cheeks aflame with what could only be described as pure rage.

percy was angry, but annabeth was angrier. 

not at one another, that he knew for sure. they were angry at the same things- but atleast percy had sally, someone he could go home to, and some fond childhood memories to look back on. annabeth had no one, and in truth she had suffered more than even percy knew. 

it was a challenge, and they were the only ones who could take such offense from each other. they pushed and pulled with all the consistency of the tides. percy could handle anything annabeth threw at him, even the sudden kick to his hip, which sent him sprawled onto the hardwood floor with a yowl. 

percy was enthralled by the whole thing, honestly, though he would be loath to admit it. there wasn’t anything he could think of that he enjoyed more than seeing annabeth fired up. the lean muscles in her arms flexed dangerously as she lunged at him again, and even as his body pulsed with discomfort he managed to roll out of her way, landing on all fours and springing back up with a hand to his chest. 

riptide lay against the wall, about 20 feet away. there was not a chance in hades annabeth would let him get to it. percy went on the offense, catching the blonde’s leg’s between his own and twisting just enough to make her groan, curling up and using her weight to throw percy to the ground. anticipating this, he collapsed to his knees, straddling her and using his semi-superior strength to his advantage. 

the dagger like sword was wrenched from her hand and tossed almost to the door, much to annabeth’s dismay. 

“are you done?” percy asked breathlessly, his hands on his knees and his hair spiked wildly around his face. annabeth grinned, shaking her head. it was his turn to groan, leaning forward with furrowed brows. “what is it gonna take for you to let me walk out of here alive?”

annabeth shivered beneath his gaze, hoping the sudden blossoming of blush to her cheeks wasn’t too obvious. “you started it,” she enunciated slowly, her hands finding his thighs with a light squeeze. percy damned himself silently at the rush of blood to his center. “not true, you’ve had it out for me since capture the flag last night.” he could barely focus on the words as he said them, immersed in golden curls shining in ways that would make helios himself jealous. annabeth scoffed, propping herself up on her elbows to glare at him. “not even! you’re the one who hunted me down AND caught me by the river, cheater!”

neither of them could ignore their sudden closeness, a new dryness in percy’s throat. “that’s not cheating! it’s not cheating when you out strategize me, and then pick some himbo hermes kid to be on your team and leave me to the wind!”

quizzical, annabeth stared up at him, her steely eyes softening as she laughed for the first time in forever. “is that why you’ve set out to end me, perseus?” the tone of her voice let him ignore the fact she’d used that hideous full name, unable to swallow the new lump in his incredibly dry throat. “you’re damn right! kyle over me? if i chose clarisse over you just for the muscle, you’d be pissed!” 

her eyes narrowed and she bucked her hips experimentally, getting a feel for percy’s weight above her to see how easy toppling him would be. the movement only served to make him gasp, however, his jeans tightening as he leaned to hide what he was sure was a tent being pitched at his middle. blushing furiously, annabeth tried to pay attention to the logo on percy’s shirt instead of the painfully obvious growing tension between them, and the uncomfortable pooling between her thighs. “clarisse? you think clarisse could beat me in a fight?”

she shoved him away, sliding her legs from between his and leaning up to meet him at eye level. they were both kneeling, and annabeth felt a twinge of guilt at the sight of a bruise rising on percy’s jaw. the fluidity in his sea green eyes intrigued her much more, however, threatening to pull her under should she stare too long.

the intense feelings were all too much for a moment, and she froze in place as percy’s warmth surrounded her. that infuriating smirk came across his friendly features as he shook his head, not moving from the place annabeth had shoved him to. “no way, i know you could take her.”

silence. the blonde girl had simply lost her train of thought, the mingling colors of their gaze turning to a stormy sea scape she had no intention of trying to leave. the electricity was only heightened when percy reached forward, his hands on either side of her face. she wasn’t surprised at the many ridges and scars she felt on them; percy didn’t used to be such a graceful fighter. 

“you’re always supposed to choose me for capture the flag, thats our unspoken deal.” his words felt oddly out of place until she remembered their previous conversation. evidently, her not choosing him bothered percy more than he let on.

“what? we never agreed on that!”

“that’s why it’s an unspoken deal.” 

annabeth’s nostrils flared at the ridiculous remark, causing percy to grin in that devastatingly handsome way that pissed her off for whatever reason. why did he insist on playing with her this way when he knew it would only end badly?

“you make me so mad, percy jackson! so what if i didn’t choose you for capture the fucking flag, you won anyway! so i don’t see why-“ her words were cut short when he used his grip on her face to hold her still, his mouth crashing to hers with a gentle force that annabeth melted beneath. her lips parted when she felt his tongue slide across them, a quiet plea for entry which she allowed after half a heartbeat. 

he tasted just as she thought he would; blue raspberry airheads. the realization almost made her laugh before she realized that holy fuck, she was kissing percy in the middle of the training room and his incredibly warm hands were sliding just under her shirt and-

SMACK! annabeth didn’t know what came over her. a surge of anger, a rush of rage at percy for having the audacity to complicate things between them so thoroughly. to kiss her before she said she was ready. anger at herself, mostly, for being so impossibly fucking in love with him that the thought of being together this way made her forget herself and everything around her. annabeth had battled dozens of monsters, but her feelings for the boy before her scared her much more than anything tartarus could offer. 

percy didn’t even seem shocked by the feeling of her hand across his face. it hadn’t hurt as bad as it should have, but the sting sent taser-like shocks to his aching middle that nearly made him bite through his tongue. “holy fuck,” he let out, standing and turning with a hand to his cheek. annabeth’s brows creased in concern, and she stood to try and placate him. masochistically, percy missed the hurricane in her eyes, tearing through his consciousness and leaving nothing but devastation in her wake. no gods, no monsters, just annabeth. 

“percy, i-“

“again,” he growled, setting his jaw and glaring at her defiantly. he wanted to really feel this one. 

annabeth’s light brows pulled together, disbelief mingling with anger to form a mock cocktail of the earth-shattering look he was searching for. “i know that fucking hurt, percy!”

“like a mother fucker. do it again.”

after only a moment, annabeth pulled back, her mouth set in a hard line and- SMACK! percy stumbled from the force this time, blood pooling in his mouth from his cheek. he almost laughed, but the roll of liquid metal ignited a primal side of him, clouding his mind enough to get in annabeth’s face with all the fury of tartarus within his body. it thrilled him that she stood her ground, a few inches shorter than him yet bristling with hostility and preparation and frizzy blond curls.

hurricane annabeth, he thought with delight. 

“gods damn it, annabeth! why would you hit me that hard?”

“why would you ask me to hit you if you didn’t want me to hit you hard, seaweed brain!”

“cause holy shit, i’m not the fucking minotaur! i didn’t know you’d hit me like that!”

“you just spent thirty minutes kicking my ass all around this room, and you’re complaining because i smacked you when you TOLD me to? you’re crazy!”

“kicking YOUR ass? i’m pretty sure my ribs are broken!”

“i was about to disable you, idiot! i had you right in the palm of my hand, that didn’t mean i wanted to kiss you!” annabeth’s words trembled with her emotions. after all this time, percy had finally kissed her. and she had liked it, immensely, but now her brain was fending him off out of complete fear of being pushed away first. “why did you do that?”

“i don’t know! i think... i just wanted to feel something other than anger. something tangible.” he bit on the inside of his already bloody cheek, the metallic taste helping him to focus on something other than the rise and fall of annabeth’s chest with her uneven breaths. 

she, however, was trying not to think about how incredibly good it had felt, percy’s hands on her skin and his tongue against hers. “that’s the stupidest shit i’ve ever heard in my life.”

“really? i thought it sounded pretty good. or good enough.”

he noticed the small quirk at the corner of her mouth, though it was quickly smothered and replaced by her usual stern frown. “you didn’t ask to kiss me, percy, you crossed a serious boundary here.”

“i know, i misread the situation and i should have made sure it was okay before i did... that,” he looked away, those stormy grey eyes clouding his thoughts. “i’m sorry.” 

a deep sigh sounded around the training room, and annabeth rubbed at her temples as she exhaled. “you didn’t misread it, percy. just... don’t take me by surprise next time.”

the sad puppy look was replaced by one of mischief, and the tension left her body at the familiar expression. “next time?”

she blushed, rolling her eyes. “don’t go getting any ideas, jackson.” it was only a half joke, her eyes fluttering almost closed as percy stepped towards her again. she didn’t look any less lethal with no weapon in her hands; she was the daughter of a war goddess, after all. 

“you know its impossible for me to get ideas,” he teased, clasping his hands tightly behind his back. “can next time be right now?” 

“only if you admit i beat you.” annabeth was smiling now, her full brows raised in amusement. percy shook his head vehemently, “absolutely not. i had you on the ground, i won.”

“not even! i let you do that, you were inches away from losing your life if you hadn’t pulled that stupid stunt with the kiss, i low key feel like you used it as a cop out.” 

percy grinned, rolling his eyes. “how was i supposed to know you’d get all gooey over it? i never thought it’d give me such an advantage.”

“you’re so arrogant, percy, honestly.”

she laughed, however, not moving from the spot just an inch or two away from him; so close their chests brushed when they inhaled simultaneously. 

his cheeks were still red, though she didn’t know if that should have been attributed to the fight, the kiss, or her hand across his face. guilt bounced around her stomach again as she looked anywhere but the bruises forming all over his head and arms, sure that his torso was just as marred beneath his shirt.

shaking thoughts of what percy looked like under the fabric from her mind, annabeth forced herself to meet his eyes again. if nothing else, the sea glass clarity of them were sure to rid her brain of all other images. 

“annabeth...” percy’s voice was suddenly earnest. almost worryingly so. the blonde didn’t answer verbally, keeping her gaze locked on his. she could have never been prepared for his next words, however. “why aren’t we together?”

oh shit. panic sounded in annabeth’s chest as she recognized the familiarity of the situation. usually, she managed to get away before the conversation came to this, or someone would interrupt percy before he completely and totally changed everything about everything. no such luck this time. and he was blocking her from the door. great.

“i-“ what? what could she even say to him? not the truth, that was for damn sure. there was no way percy could ever know what he truly meant to her, the way he permeated her thoughts even in her most focused state. demigods didn’t get happy endings. her and percy’s story would only end in tragedy. “i don’t know.”

that was true, too. she didn’t know why her and percy weren’t together. after the sea of monsters, mount st. helens, the labyrinth, the fucking war in general, every one was certain they would fall in once everything settled down. but annabeth was scared, scared of how strongly she felt for the young hero, scared of the very thought of something happening to him. scared of more love being lost to a fate worse than dearh. scared of percy, of the possibility of his divergence into what luke became; a shell of anger with all the power in the world to break her.

except, she had come to realize, percy held much more power over her than luke ever did. the feelings simply did not compete where they didn’t compare. she and percy had been through the worst of the worst together, and never once did she have to question his loyalty. it was different than his intense faith in everyone else; the son of the sea god prized annabeth above all others, she knew that for a fact. the thought of him breaking her heart made it hard to breathe. it was simply unbearable, and annabeth wouldn’t put herself through it. 

the infinite reasons not to still could not overpower the number one reason to go for it; she was in love with percy. nobody between olympus and tartarus could ever hold a candle to him, for any of her lifetimes.

though her mind was filled with all these thoughts, her mouth didn’t move, and her silence only seemed to confuse percy further, the tides turning in his sea green eyes reflected in the flipping of her stomach. “that’s bullshit, and you know it.”

her nostrils flared, and it took a lot of effort for him not to smile at the sight. “its not bullshit, percy! what good will it do for us to be together? obviously there’s... feelings... here, but it can’t end right for us. we’re setting ourselves up for failure.” surely he knew what he meant to her. surely he knew she was being sincere. the tensions between them made her muscles coil, not too different from the feeling of fighting the manticore. 

“if we’re destined to be miserable in the end anyway, shouldn’t we spend our time here how we want to? i don’t want to die some painful death not knowing what it’s like to be with you.” percy was desperate now, searching for any angle that would make annabeth see his side of things. “i-i can’t... be without you, please don’t make me do it.” i will search for you even in the afterlife, he thought to himself. 

her cement gaze crumbled and she reached out to touch him, her fingertips skimming his bruised jaw. even the tiny contact was electric, and annabeth yanked away at the shock. “i’m sorry, percy,” she sighed, her heart only getting heavier as she said the words out loud, her hands dropping to her sides with the weight of them. “you’ll never be without me, but we can’t be together how we... how we want to.”

as she tried to sidestep him and leave, tears burning behind her eyes, percy held his too-long arms out in front of her, his dark brows pulled together in the most frantic look she had ever seen on his exaggeratedly godly features. if he wasn’t so constantly windswept and wild looking, you would think he was a child of aphrodite. his jet black hair fell nearly to his shoulders in soft waves, freckles forming on the warm skin of his cheeks. and those eyes... annabeth searched for their color in everything now, never finding the exact shade. it had quickly become her favorite, though she’d never tell percy that.

“you’re telling me it wouldn’t hurt you just as bad if something were to happen to me now than it would if we were together? i know what its like to be scared, you almost died for me, annabeth! that was the scariest time of my fucking life! you just said you want to be with me too, but won’t, and i want to know why! what are you so afraid of?”

percy was yelling, his clear voice bouncing off the walls and hitting her ears with renewed force. the words weren’t intended to scare her; filled with hurt rather than anger. annabeth’s attempt at bucking up to him was snuffed out when she saw the tears rolling down his cheeks. when she opened her mouth to answer, however, the doors opened, and percy didn’t even bother to turn around and see will and kayla’s defensive forms in the entryway. 

his voice was dripping with venom when he spoke again. “whoever that is, please get the fuck out.” 

the siblings looked at annabeth, a silent “you okay?” ringing in her mind as loudly as if they’d screamed it. she nodded, motioning beneath percy’s arms for them to leave. as worried as she was about him turning out fucked up, she doubted it would happen in the span of the next few minutes. they nodded, and annabeth heard the click of the lock (courtesy of will’s master key, she figured). complete privacy eased her further, and she reached out to grip percy’s arms firmly. 

“i’m afraid of you, percy.”

he stiffened, her words sinking in and realizing his deepest and absolute darkest fear. “m-me?” he stammered, the dryness in his throat burning him now. he never wanted annabeth to be scared of him. 

instantly regretting her choice of words, the blonde shook her head fervently, moving her hands to his horrified face without care for the almost painful shock it brought her. “no, perce! not afraid of you in that way, i know you would never... i know you would never hurt me.” that didn’t relax the tension in his body, so she kept going, silently praying he could feel the truth to her words. “i’m terrified of how much i care about you, a-and the way i can’t think clearly when it comes to you! or w-what would happen if... if you started thinking like luke, because...” she took a deep breath, unsure of her next words but needing him to hear them regardless. “you really are a lot like him. except you’re so powerful, percy, i’ve never seen anything like it. it would be so bad, and i’m not certain i would choose the right side. that’s how much you mess my brain up.” 

another sting. was this part of the speech supposed to be making him feel better? if so, it was doing a really terrible job. the comparison to luke was enough, but percy really could have done without the insistence that he messed her brain up. 

“i didn’t know it was that complicated.” truly, he didn’t. for him it was simple; he loved annabeth, he would do anything for her. she was part of the reason he hadn’t taken the offer of immortality. would he follow her to the wrong side, if she for some reason turned evil as she feared he would? could there even be such a thing as “the wrong side” if that was where annabeth was?

maybe that wasn’t a smart train of thought to have, and he understood a small portion of what she meant. it didn’t change anything for him, though. percy would go to war with the gods and titans themselves for annabeth, and it wasn’t even up for debate. and since he did, since he loved her more than breathing, he knew better than to push her decision any more. her mind was set. stupidly, percy yearned to pull her against him one last time, the urge resounding in his shaking hands and legs. 

after a long moment, in which annabeth seemed not to breathe for the entire duration of, he let out a small sigh. “trusting me not to hurt you means trusting that i would never, ever do the things luke did. you have to know that, atleast.”

the harsh lighting of the training room illuminated her in stark contrast, and for the first time percy noticed the deep lines creasing the space between her brows and around her full lips. a sign of too much stress on her young face. he wanted desperately to rub the worry away from her regal features. an eternity passed before annabeth breathed again, a single tear spilling from her eye that she didn’t bother to wipe away.

unable to take it, percy decided to go to bed and stay there for a week or six, rounding on his heel before the sob building in his chest broke free. he almost made it to the door before annabeth called out to him again, her voice broken with despair. “n-no! please don’t- please d-don’t leave me, p-percy.” he had only heard that tone from her a handful of times, all in near death situations. the distress she radiated yanked at his stomach, pulling him back to her with three times the speed he walked away. percy only made it a few steps, however, annabeth having followed him soundlessly on his way out. 

they crashed into one another with all the force of their own gravities, annabeth’s strong arms wrapping around his middle and causing them both to shake with her silent sobs. 

“i won’t,” he said softly, relief and pain flooding his chest in a gruesome mixture, before running his hands firmly down her spine. “i won’t ever leave you, annabeth.” 

he found himself almost overwhelmingly angry again, the feeling sending tremors through his body. if they were normal teenagers, and had met each other under normal circumstances, there would be no reason for annabeth to be sitting here almost completely dismantled, rocking with pent up screams echoing in her chest that he could feel through her skin. they would go out to the movies or some type of goofy attraction and try to sneak into each others rooms or do other normal, slightly stupid stuff, enjoying each other’s company with no fear of an imminent and painful death.

percy wondered briefly if they would even like each other, if they weren’t demigods and had met in a normal school or somewhere equally as uninteresting. he quickly deduced, however, that while annabeth would find him irritating no matter their situation (only at first, of course, he tended to grow on people) percy would absolutely fall for her on sight in any timeline. he couldn’t think of anyone prettier than her, definitely not anyone smarter, or more caring or brave...

and thats why he was so fucking angry, because annabeth was the last person who deserved to be sitting there broken. she, of all people, deserved to feel whole. this was the byproduct of being a half blood, of bottling your grief and pretending that people never lived; that they never died. they sat there for a long time, until finally the blonde’s sobs subsided and she leaned back, her calloused hands coming to cup percy’s face tenderly, those devastating tornadoes of eyes searching over his features as though she’d never see them again. 

“i love you, percy.”

hearing the words sent fire throughout his body. not a ravenous blaze like his anger, but softer, more akin to one of sally’s favorite candles. “i know,” he replied, no trace of snark in his comment as he smoothed her hair from her face. “i love you, annabeth. i’d follow you into tartarus.”

she didn’t laugh, and neither did he. it wasn’t a joke. the intensity didn’t scare her, she thought with delight, it didn’t make her want to run away. quite the opposite, in fact. “i know,” she said softly. the aching in her chest was lessening, replaced by the warmth that was percy. he was right, of course. annabeth couldn’t be without him any easier than she could be without air, and no matter how bad it would hurt should it end disastrously... it couldn’t hurt more than the thought of going through her life pretending she wasn’t astronomically in love with percy.

they were suspended in the silence for a few heartbeats, the sun barely beaming through the windows anymore as it sunk below the horizon. annabeth’s hands were still on percy’s face, amazed once again at the unbelievably handsome young man he had become. her attention was drawn especially to the soft “v” of his cupid’s bow, and she watched it tighten with percy’s smile the longer she looked. “what are you thinking about, wise girl?” 

his tone was playful, carrying no burden of their previous conversation. she mirrored his emotions; it felt unbelievably good to get all of that off her chest, to be wrapped up in percy’s arms and staring at him as unabashedly as she was. she felt relieved, light even. “this,” annabeth murmured, her grip on his angular jaw tightening as she stretched as far up as her toes would allow, bringing her lips to percy’s in a much less rushed version of their earlier soiree.

much to her delight, percy reacted immediately, swooping her up as though she weighed nothing and almost instantly finding his rhythm with her. the taste of blue raspberry candy filled her senses again, and she allowed herself to laugh this time, pulling a giggle from percy as well (though she truthfully didn’t know what he could be finding funny). her hands tangled in the soft waves at the nape of his neck, barely feeling the shift as percy carried her to the closest wall.

“butterflies” would be a disrespectful understatement to the swarm of locusts writhing in his stomach, his brain abuzz with the feeling of annabeth. his earlier, somewhat confusing sexual tension was building in the recesses of his body once more, the stress on his heart transforming to the need to feel something else once more. this time, however, he got to feel something besides a literal slap in the face. he realized that the only common denominator was annabeth; he needed to feel her. 

she fit perfectly against him, the lean muscles in her long legs flexing as she gripped his waist. annabeth couldn’t worry about shyness or anxiety as percy’s arm slid beneath her, propping her up for the onslaught of kisses he began peppering down her neck. grinning and breathless, the blonde tugged at his orange shirt, eager to see if her restless imagination matched up to the real thing. having the forethought to not get undressed in the training room, percy obliged her by sliding one arm out instead, allowing her warm palms to roam his scarred torso with a contented sigh. 

percy could feel his grip loosening with every small noise annabeth made. he would never tell anyone, but he had tried to imagine many times what the reserved and stern girl would sound like in a situation like this, and finally hearing her breathy purrs of approval was doing a number on him. he was simultaneously embarrassed and grateful for the rush of completely new arousal flooding his body when she hummed his name, her nails skimming the vulnerable small of percy’s back.

the power annabeth felt when she realized how turned on percy was made her head spin. how many times had she thought of this? well, maybe not this exactly... oh, who was she kidding? making out after a torrid swordfight was absolutely the type of situation she had envisioned her and percy in. the soft wave of his grey streak tickled her nose as he pressed a kiss to the hollow of her throat, the silver lock mirrored in her own curls. it reminded her once more of just how right he was for her; if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, percy would always be there to help her with the burden. he had proven it over and over and over again. there was no one annabeth trusted so much, in the entire duration of beginningless time. 

her body was alive with the need for him to touch her, and though she was beginning to feel shame creep up into her neck alongside his gentle kisses she mumbled a soft plea into his skin to do just that- “touch me.”

that was all the permission percy needed. though he was much more inexperienced than his friends thought him to be- he didn’t think a few awkward half hookups with rachel counted for much- he found that all of his movements with annabeth felt completely natural, especially after her request filled his throat with a low growl and he pressed her flush against the wall. 

percy’s spindly hands found the button of her shorts within seconds, popping it open with a sigh of relief and letting his fingertips graze the smooth skin usually hidden by the fabric. just the small, new contact made his legs weaken, and he attempted to steady himself with one arm still beneath her. 

“are you sure?” he asked softly, a warm kiss pressed beneath annabeth’s ear right after. there was no pressure behind his question, just a sweet double-check that brought the smile back to her face. “please, percy,” she punctuated her yearning with a roll of her hips down his building erection, almost pulling a yelp from his lips. brows knitting, he decided not to keep her waiting any longer; the anticipation was making her shake. 

percy attached his lips to hers as he boosted her up, not a thought to his screaming muscles with his hand easing beneath the soft cotton of her panties. trying to act cool wasn’t working, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. annabeth wasn’t the only shaky one, and she laughed into the kiss with genuine mirth at the feeling of percy losing his cool. the sound brought a laugh from the depths of his stomach as well. happiness was at the forefront of his identity in that moment, shoving anger from the spotlight unceremoniously and making way for the pure delight of annabeth. 

annabeth annabeth annabeth. he chanted her name in his head as though he was making an offering, and he supposed he was, in a way. there was nothing on the planet he wouldn’t give to her, and just as he was finally, finally slipping his fingertips between her unbelievably wet folds the lock to the training room’s door opened with a loud *click*, the sound drawing an annoyed growl from percy’s throat that was only overpowered by annabeth’s loud groan. 

“sorry, guys, but it’s almost time for bed checks.”

will’s sheepish voice barely reached their ears, and annabeth’s approaching embarrassment was only lessened by the sheer amount of times she had caught the apollo counselor in similar positions. percy’s body blocked her from view, and she peeked over his wiry shoulders with glimmering eyes, amused by the fact he hadn’t bothered to set her down. “thanks, will, we’re just finishing up.”

the formality made percy laugh again, boisterously, and only when he heard the door shut once more did he ease annabeth onto the floor, rebuttoning her shorts as though he’d done it a million times. the intimacy was even more flustering than their previous situation, and the blonde had to turn her head lest the overwhelming feelings showed on her face.

percy his hands drop to his side awkwardly after noticing her change in demeanor. he secretly feared, with the intensity of the situation being gone, that annabeth would revert back to her earlier mindset and leave him in the dust again. the thought made his heart beat uncomfortably hard, almost painfully so, until he felt her hands on his face and saw the smile in hers. 

“cool if i stay in your cabin tonight?” the question was quiet, and playful, but a real one nonetheless. percy cocked his head to the side, his hands feeling that magnetic pull to annabeth’s body once more. “yeah, cause nobody will notice athena’s head counselor missing during bed checks.” 

she rolled her eyes, reaching into her back pocket and pulling out her yankees cap. “i meant after bed checks, seaweed brain.” percy’s breath hitched in his throat once the implication hit him. “oh! of- of course you can.” so much for being smooth, he thought bitterly. his stammering was met with another dazzling grin, and he was more than thrilled when annabeth pulled him down for a surprisingly chaste kiss. “i’ll see you in a little while. don’t miss me too much.”

percy only got to see a sudden blossoming of red on her cheeks before she was out the door, leaving him dumbfounded and aching with the absence of her touch. 

he’d see her in a little while. she’d be staying with him tonight, and if he had it his way, every night thereafter. she loved him. 

delight was much too dull of a word to describe how he felt as he walked from the large room with these thoughts in his head, not even feeling the stares of several campers on him as he practically sprinted to his cabin in anticipation for the coming night spent wrapped around annabeth. percy was happy. much happier than he believed to be normal.

**Author's Note:**

> this was supposed to be a smut that just ended up making me cry multiple times. if you liked this, be sure to check out my other works! more pjo is coming this way :)💗


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